Staff / Samantha M. Shal
From left, Brian Cosgray of the PATH Foundation, Rosa McHugh of the Chastain Park Conservancy and Jim King of the Chastain Park Athletic Club will co-host the fourth annual triPATHlon race Saturday.

The triPATHlon, a fully sanctioned USA Triathlon sprint triathlon and one of few intown Atlanta events of its kind, will return to Chastain Park in Buckhead Saturday.

The race will benefit three local nonprofits: the PATH Foundation, which creates and maintains pedestrian/bicycle trails in metro Atlanta including one at the park; the Chastain Park Athletic Club, which maintains the park’s athletic facilities; and the Chastain Park Conservancy, which improves and maintains the park as a whole. The race will start at 7:30 a.m. and includes a 400-yard swim in the park’s pool, a 15-mile bike ride and a 5-kilometer run on the Chastain trail. With the event in April this year, about a month earlier than previous triPATHlons, the pool will be heated, said Brian Cosgray, a PATH Foundation volunteer who is co-chairing the event with club Chairman Jim King and conservancy Executive Director Rosa McHugh. There also will be a Splash and Dash race for children ages 6 to 14.

The day’s events brought in $20,000 in net proceeds in 2013 and is expected to collect as much this year, Cosgray said. He said the race is limited to 550 participants because of the size of the pool.

“Success for us is maxing it out,” Cosgray said. “We typically get 100 [entries] in the last week. [The event had] about 300 in the first year.”

Entry fees are $100 for USA Triathlon members, $112 for non-members, $150 for teams and $15 for the Splash & Dash. Participants must register by Friday since there is no same-day signup.

“I think it’s a great way for the community to participate in an event that supports all three organizations,” Cosgray said. “For PATH, the particular reason we started it is we’re not a volunteer-heavy organization. So it’s a good way to bring awareness to the people involved in building the trails around the state.”

McHugh said, “I think to me, personally, in this economy and with all these nonprofits in Atlanta, it’s a beautiful thing that you have three organizations coming together to give back in unison to the community, and to benefit a jewel everyone can use. All the proceeds go back to the park. I think it shows how three nonprofits can work together for one goal.”

King said, “The triPATHlon is a great opportunity to serve the public and expose more people to the grandeur of Chastain Park. In our case, a lot of people don’t even know we have a swimming pool here. It’s always good to get exposure for the pool and [add] memberships and so forth. The partnership with the PATH Foundation and the conservancy has worked out very well and will only get better.”

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